How Chiropractic Care Can Help the Nervous System Reduce Pain

If you are wondering how to reduce pain, especially in the low back, consider chiropractic care. A recent study has shown that "high-velocity lumbar manipulation," a type of spinal adjustment used by chiropractors, is effective at pain reduction for acute and subacute low back pain.

How to Reduce Pain with Chiropractic Spinal AdjustmentsHow does "high-velocity lumbar manipulation", aka spinal manipulation, help with pain reduction? It has to do with the nervous system. The human nervous system has two main complimentary branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Now, you may have heard that the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is our "rest and digest" system. For this reason, it gets stressed a lot in holistic professions such as yoga, where the PNS is credited for helping reduce stress. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is responsible for our "fight or flight" response. You might get the wrong impression, then, that the sympathetic nervous system is somehow bad or won't help us feel better. However, when it comes to pain relief, the activation of the SNS can actually reduce pain. The study showed that high-velocity lumbar manipulation activates the sympathetic nervous system and thus provides pain reducing benefits.

Chiropractic Care for Fast Pain ReliefDo you have low back pain? Looking for help? If you want to know more about how to reduce pain through chiropractic care, contact us today.

If You Suffer from Anxiety or Depression, You May Have a Higher Risk for Stroke

A new study from researchers at the University of Edinburgh has shown that adults who suffer from mood disorders may have a higher risk for stroke or heart attack. The long-term study, published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality Outcomes, followed nearly 222,000 people older than 45 for almost 5 years. None of the participants had a stroke or heart attack in their medical history. Among men age 45-79, those who had experienced a moderate amount of psychological distress before the study began were 20% likelier to have a stroke and 28% likelier to suffer a heart attack, as compared to men without mental disorders. Men who suffered psychological problems at high levels were 44% likelier to suffer a stroke and 60% likelier to suffer a heart attack. The rate of stroke and heart attack for women was slightly different. Among the same age group, women who had suffered moderate psychological distress were 28% likelier to suffer a stroke and 12% likelier to suffer a heart attack. Meanwhile, women with very high levels of psychological issues were 68% likelier to suffer a stroke and 24% likelier to suffer a heart attack. Researchers note that the study wasn’t meant to definitively prove a connection between mood disorders and heart attacks/strokes. However, they say it's possible that mood disorder symptoms can affect the body negatively, such as increasing inflammation in the circulatory system, though more studies are needed.